Blog – Page 14

Faithfulness of our Labor

October 9, 2014 by Asharae 4 Comments

A friend of mine shared this article by John Piper a few weeks ago and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Throughout the past several weeks I’ve felt the pendulum swing back and forth – from feeling like I’m exactly where I should be, doing exactly what I should be doing to then feeling discouraged, as if all the hard work we do each day is for nothing.

It’s easy to get so bogged down by other people’s opinions and the things we feel like we’re supposed to be doing to fit in or be successful.

After a particularly frustrating bout of discouragement the other week, I grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote a quote from Piper’s article to post over my computer – “The Lord measures the faithfulness of our labor, not our success.” (Go read Piper’s article, especially if that quote doesn’t make much sense to you.)

It doesn’t matter to God how many clients we have lined up for next year. It doesn’t matter how many Instagram or Pinterest followers we have. It doesn’t matter if we respond to emails in two minutes or two hours or two days if we must. God’s not keeping tabs on these things and labeling us as “successful” human beings if we meet a certain standard.

Instead, he “measures the faithfulness of our labor.” Are you doing what you do with care and creativity and a willing heart, whether you receive recognition or not? Or are you begrudgingly taking the next step, wishing you could just “be there already” – wishing “success” would just be handed to you? More often than not, I find myself in the latter category. I start complaining and whining that nobody else “gets it” – that they don’t see the hours of work we pour into the things we love (I’m writing this post at 1 in the morning, if you’d really like to know.) But when I get anxious and concerned about what people think, I lose sight of the goal. I lose sight of the Lord.

What if each day, instead of immediately opening my inbox to see what clients I need to answer to, I instead take a deep breath and say – Lord, what would you have me do today? How can these seemingly meaningless, mindless tasks of editing photos, answering emails, sorting receipts, and uploading files bring you glory? How can these things change from meaningless and mindless to meaningful and life-giving, both to me and to the clients we serve?

I ask this question over and over. I’m one of those people who believes at the depth of my soul that the lives we live should be meaningful. We shouldn’t while away our days wishing for something better. It’s hard. And most days I do it very poorly. But one day, one hour, one minute at a time I want to aim to be more mindful. I want to consider not “how can I be more successful?” but “how can I be more faithful in my labor?” How can I be more present with my friends, my family, our clients, with Tim? How can I use this place, this time, and the gifts that I have to honor and glorify and point back to the Lord, through each of my hesitant, faltering steps.

Photos are from our trip to visit friends in Arizona this summer – I’ll be blogging more of those here soon. That is, once I surface from the piles and piles of editing currently on my plate 😉

Thai Nachos

October 1, 2014 by Asharae 3 Comments

This recipe was inspired by my brother. He worked with a summer program through UNCC this past July and they took their group of high school kids down to Wilmington for a week of fossil hunting and rock finding. One night my brother Christian texted me from the fabled Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn – a restaurant known for…. you guessed it – burritos! Somehow in all our trips to Wilmington, I’ve never been – someone tell me – is it worth all the hype?

Christian sent me a photo of the dinner he had ordered – any guesses? Don’t get too far ahead of yourself – it wasn’t a burrito. I know, I know. That’s probably sacrilegious or something. But he’s always one to think outside the box when it comes to food. Instead of a burrito he ordered Thai Nachos. THAI NACHOS. Cue heavenly music. My response was pretty much – WHAT. Tell me everything! Tim and I hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so when he texted back with a list of all the toppings, we obviously dropped everything and made our own version of these nachos for our dinner.

I was tempted to keep this recipe to myself – perhaps to break out at our next Superbowl party or something. But no. That would be cruel. Cruel to serve you so many veggies at a Superbowl party and also cruel to keep this recipe to myself. You really must try these nachos for yourself.

Thai Nachos

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Servings 2 -3

Ingredients

Dressing

1 clove garlic minced
1.5 tsp fresh ginger minced
2 Tbs tahini can substitute peanut butter - heat for a few seconds in the microwave to soften
1.5 tsp soy sauce
1.5 tsp fish sauce find this in the Asian food section of your grocery store
1.5 Tbs sweet chili sauce
Zest and juice of 1 lime

Nachos

Tortilla Chips
Cheese shredded
1 Bell Pepper cut into bite-size slices
1/4 of a Red Onion cut into thin slices
Edamame find in the frozen veggies section - purchase the pre-shelled edamame
2 Carrots peeled and grated

Garnish

Cilantro
Green onions

Instructions

Whisk dressing ingredients together, set aside.
Heat a large pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add red onions and bell peppers and sauté till slightly tender, about 4-5 min. Set aside when finished.
While sautéing the veggies, heat a pot of water and cook the edamame according to the package directions (usually 4-5 minutes, or until tender). When finished, drain and run under cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking.
Assemble nachos on a large rimmed baking sheet (not pictured). Cover the pan with chips, sprinkle half the cheese on top, add bell pepper, red onion, grated carrots, and edamame. Add the rest of the cheese and bake at 400 for about two minutes, or until cheese begins to melt. Turn the broiler on and broil for about one minute, till cheese is melted and begins to bubble.
Garnish with cilantro, green onions, and drizzle the dressing on top. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

Feel free to add other veggies to this dish or even add cooked shredded chicken for a little more protein.

On Community

September 23, 2014 by Asharae 1 Comment

Over Labor Day weekend we drove up to Maryland to visit Tim’s family. They live toward the mountains in a gorgeous area of the country, surrounded by green rolling hills and pastures and farmland. Their area has a fairly high Amish and Mennonite population, and one evening we attended an event at a local Amish family’s farm. This family was hosting a fundraiser for their neighbor who had fallen off the roof of his barn back in the spring and has major medical bills to pay off.

Aside from the beauty of their farm with a gorgeous old barn nestled into rolling hills, and the warm evening light as the sun dipped behind the trees, the outpouring of support for this family was incredible. When we arrived, we waited in line on this narrow country road as they directed each car and tractor to park in the pasture across the street. There were huge gentle horses hooked up to wagons to give hay rides, and men roasting ears of corn by the dozens over an open fire. There was roasted chicken and potatoes and cole slaw, homemade ice cream and huge pans of brownies and chocolate chip cookie bars, cheese curds and tiny handmade pies. Even the kids were helping out – dressed in their flowery shift dresses or their little navy slacks – each helping carry buckets of corn or potatoes, or restocking the cheese curds.

We figured our way through the line to fill our plates and then settled into one of the many tables that were lined up inside the barn. It looked as if they’d cleared out the barn and decorated it, just for this purpose. As we were finishing up our dinner, a few Amish men got up on the makeshift stage (a pile of hay bales), and after a short introduction began to sing hymns. They let everyone know they didn’t want to be seen as performers – this, for them, was an act of worship. I was surprised that most of the hymns were familiar to me – the words at least were familiar from the hymnal in the church where I grew up. But the tunes were different. The melodies sounded older, more melancholy, as if they were steeped in history, and this family, and all the generations before them, had been singing the same tune. It was beautiful. And hard to put into words. But somehow I felt like God was smiling down on this little farm on a country road in Maryland – smiling on his people acting out what community is supposed to look like.

I wish we’d taken more photos, but here are just a few that don’t really do it justice. You can imagine the rest. Or see one more photo I took that day over on my Instagram of course.

Blueberry Mint Lemonade and a Review of Daring Greatly

September 15, 2014 by Asharae 3 Comments

I finished reading Daring Greatly by Brené Brown the other week and can’t stop thinking about it. She has started a beautiful and extraordinarily important conversation about shame and vulnerability.

As a shame researcher, she provides a framework, the words, and the definitions to talk about shame and vulnerability. Those don’t sound like fun things to read about, but the way she writes keeps you absolutely captivated with stories woven into each chapter – sometimes it feels like she plucked them right out of your own life. Brown addresses everything from gender shaming to shame in the classroom to using (and preferably not using) shame as a parenting tool to the feelings of shame and the fear of “being wrong” that hinders innovation and creativity.

I flipped through her book a few times trying to find a quote suitable to share here. I’ve scribbled and underlined and circled and asterisked (is that a word?) all through her book, and one part I keep coming back to is in her chapter titled “Understanding and Combating Shame.” She defines “shame tapes” as “the messages of self-doubt and self-criticism that we carry around in our heads,” and she gives the metaphor of a gremlin as the tricky little liar that tries to fill our heads with that nonsense.

“Understanding our shame tapes or gremlins is critical to overcoming shame because we can’t always point to a certain moment or a specific put-down at the hands of another person. Sometimes shame is the result of us playing the old recordings that were programmed when we were children or simply absorbed from the culture…Sometimes when we dare to walk into the arena the greatest critic we face is ourselves.“

Now, when Tim and I are facing a difficult decision, combating self-doubt, or just having a crummy day, we’ll ask one another, “What are the gremlins saying?” It has been an incredibly helpful framework for us to put words to the things that are discouraging us, the lies we’re listening to, and the doubt that we’re facing. We’re still learning how to take a step back from all of that and listen to the words of peace and encouragement and direction that the Lord whispers to us instead.

I hope you’ll go pick up a copy of Daring Greatly – and when you do, come back and let me know what you think of it!

We made this lemonade for the first time after going blueberry picking this summer. It’s ridiculously delicious. I’ve made it with both fresh blueberries and frozen ones, and with and without mint – use what you’ve got on hand! Even though blueberry season is long gone, you can still enjoy a little taste of summer by using frozen berries! I hardly feel like summer has begun, and somehow we’re already talking of fall. What. When did that happen? (Um. Also. Some of our friends have already gotten snow. Let’s not even go there.) Don’t get me wrong, I love wearing boots and sweaters and scarves just as much as the next girl, but right now I’m still craving sun-kissed skin and ocean waves and lemonade. At least I’ve got one of the three right now.

And soon to be two of the three. Tim and I are headed to Martha’s Vineyard this weekend to photograph and film his cousin’s wedding day! Family, the ocean, a ferry ride, the salty breeze. We could not be more stoked. I’m trying to contain my excitement and refrain from using too many exclamation points. (!!!)

That’ll kick off our grand road trip the next few weeks shooting weddings – we’ll be traveling from NC through New York City on to Martha’s Vineyard, out to visit friends in Massachusetts, camping near Niagara Falls, onward to see friends who just started working at Taylor University, and then up to Chicago where we have two weddings the following two weekends. If any of ya’ll are along the way and want to grab lunch/coffee/dinner/schedule a photo session/provide a place for us to stay (wink wink, nudge nudge) – let us know!! Also. If you have suggestions for budget friendly things we should do/see/eat along the way, send them our way!

Blueberry Lemonade

Adapted from Kitchen Treaty

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Ingredients

3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice about 6 medium lemons
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup hot water
3 cups cold water
Handful of mint leaves optional

Instructions

Combine fresh squeezed lemon juice, sugar, blueberries, and hot water in a blender. Blend until sugar has dissolved and berries are pureed.
Pour into a large pitcher, using a small sieve to remove the pulp. Add cold water, tear mint leaves and add, stir to combine, and chill in the fridge for an hour or so before serving.
Serve over ice. Use a small sieve to strain the mint leaves out at this point if you don't want them in your drink.

Caprese Salad with Honey Balsamic Reduction and some Mid-Week Inspiration

September 10, 2014 by Asharae 1 Comment

This week I want to share a few of the things that I’ve been inspired by lately. I hope a few of these words speak to you and perhaps encourage you to read these books or visit these blogs. Enjoy!

Tsh Oxenreider and her family’s year-long round-the-world trip.

I’m completely in awe of this trip Tsh and her husband are about to set out on with their three kids. I haven’t even gotten a chance to read her book Notes From A Blue Bike which I bought back in the spring, but it’s next on the list. I love reading stories of families who are thinking outside the box – the ones who are willing to make certain sacrifices in order to pursue what’s most important to them.

The Oxenreiders are doing something which seems so radical to some, but as Tsh explains it – “Traveling is in our blood.”

I love this quote from her blog. I think it applies to so many things, particularly when it comes to taking a big “next step,” in anything from vocation to marriage to family to going on a year-long trip around the world.

“I think sometimes we feel like there needs to be this extrinsic, sign-from-God sort of reason to do something this big. But really, what if God simply delights in us following our desires? What if we’re partly fulfilling our vocation (in the literal sense of the word) by acting on our deepest passions?”

Yes. This.

These photos of the Ingalls homestead from Joy Prouty.

Go look at them. And read her words. Altogether they make me want to melt in a puddle of happiness. I loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books when I was a kid – and these photos reminded me of how much they ignited my imagination – perhaps my secret longing to build my own house, grow my own food, and raise chickens and goats has something to do with those books. I even remember a short-lived phase where I insisted on calling my parents Ma and Pa.

I think Little House on the Prairie is moving up on my list of books to re-read. But right now I’m trying to convince Tim we should read The Voyages of Dr. Doolittle aloud – it’s another of my childhood favorites. We started reading it on Sunday, and he was sweet enough to read a few chapters to me before I started snoring on the couch. Sunday afternoons man. They’ll getcha.

Anna Watson Carl and her blog The Yellow Table

I’m a relatively new reader of Anna’s blog, but I’ve been loving everything she writes. She’s a chef and a writer based in NYC and she’s publishing a cookbook this fall. It’s been a lot of fun to follow her journey via Instagram and her blog. She writes with refreshing honesty about combatting the doubts and discouragement and realizing her need for rest, refreshment, and new perspective.

I came across this post of hers recently and it really resonated with me. I too have trouble slowing down and truly resting. Working from home and running my own business is a blessing and a curse in that regard. I’m home all the time, so it seems it would be easy to relax and simply enjoy being home. The flip side of that is that I’m also always at work – there’s always more to be done – more emails to send, more blog posts to write, more photos to edit. And it really never ends. I’ve taken to (almost) never checking my email on the weekends because I simply need a break from it all. I’m slowly letting go of the guilt I can sometimes feel when I let an email go a couple days before I answer it. My heart and my brain simply need to rest sometimes.

This recipe is inspired partly by the plethora of tomatoes we have exploding from our garden right now and partly by our honeymoon over four years ago (no, we didn’t go to Italy, but we did eat at an amazing Italian restaurant in Georgia of all places.) We ordered caprese salad as an appetizer and it maybe changed our lives. Mine at least. The waiter explained that they had created a balsamic vinegar reduction to drizzle over the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. All I remember is that that dish forever changed my dislike for tomatoes. The sweet, salt and peppery, tart combination left me yearning to figure out how to recreate that dish. Until now I’d never actually tried. I came across this recipe for a honey balsamic reduction and adapted it into my usual caprese salad ensemble. The result – delicious.

Caprese Salad with Honey Balsamic Reduction

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Ingredients

For the Honey Balsamic Reduction

1/2 c balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs honey

For the salad

3 Medium tomatoes any variety - we used Black Krim, Lemon Boy, and Better Boy tomatoes
Mozzarella buying the pre-sliced rounds makes this easy - I even slice those in half since they're so thick
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil chopped

Instructions

For the Honey Balsamic Reduction

Combine the balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until syrupy and reduced to 1/3 c, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge.

Assemble the salad

Layer the salad in this order - tomato, salt and pepper, mozzarella, honey balsamic reduction, fresh basil.
Enjoy!

Notes

If you're short on time or feeling lazy, you can always skip the honey balsamic reduction and drizzle a few teaspoons of balsamic vinegar over your tomatoes instead.